Hallow Damage: Part II
by KeDe
Summary: What happens when Fin and Munch have to deal with the detectives in Major Case? This is a crossover story from Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Please note that this is the second part of an ongoing series.

Chapter 1

It was late in New York City and at the Special Victims Unit only Detectives Tutuola and Munch were on duty. Munch was surfing the Internet and Phin was chomping on a chilidog and thumbing through a newspaper. Olivia and Elliot had long since gone home. There was a smattering of other personnel in the room attending to other cases.

"The Yankees suck!" Phin announced.

Munch looked up from the computer screen. "They call themselves Yankees. What do you expect?"

A grim looking Captain Cragen marched in from his office with a picture in his hand. He pinned the picture of a dead man whose face was smudged with Halloween paint on the murder board. "This case just rolled over to us from Major Case."

Munch leaned back in his chair, disgusted. "Oh, this freak isn't important enough for them so they dump him on us?"

Cragen ignored him. "He was killed at the policemen's haunted house for charity a little while ago."

"Great," Phin said unenthusiastically.

"They initially thought he was Det. Mike Logan who was supposed to be where this dead guy ended up: as the hanging man. Instead Logan was knocked on the head." The victim had also been stabbed.

"Sounds like overkill to me," Phin stated.

Cragen turned to the board and wrote _Dennis Whitlock_ underneath the picture. "He belongs to us because his prints came back identifying him as a pedophile just out of prison. We of course need to know who killed him. Since the two of you are on the overnight, guess what? It's all yours. I want you to get over to Major Case and talk to Logan and Wheeler --"

"What's this Wheeler cat go to do with it?" Phin asked.

"Wheeler is Logan's partner, so maybe she knows something." Cragen tried to mask a bemused look. "Or maybe not. According to Capt. Ross, seems she was having a little love fest with Det. Goren around the same time."

Munch frowned. "Goren? That big stiff?"

Phin chuckled. "Guess he's not your type, hunh, Munch?"

"No, he isn't," Munch admitted. "But she's a babe."

Cragen raised his hands. "Enough, you two,"

"What's the big deal about this dead pedo anyway?" Munch wanted to know. "If you ask me, the killer did us all a favor."

"I didn't hear anybody ask you," Cragen said, heading back to his office.

Phin chuckled and started for the door. "As much as I hate to agree with you, Munch, I do agree with you. But we still have to investigate. Can't have folks taking the law into their own hands."

Munch followed him. "You sound like Cragen. Or a politician. You running for office?"

"No," Phin said, looking back at him. "But I'm gonna run my fist up side your head if you don't shut the hell up."

Munch was about to say something else but thought better of it. Knowing Phin as he did, he realized that keeping his lip zipped was the best thing right now.

xxxx


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The clock on the wall in the Major Case squad read 4:52 a.m. The elevator doors opened and Logan and Wheeler got off. They were just back from the hospital. Both looked tired and in need of a long nap. A couple of their fellow officers patted Logan on the back and wanted to know if he was okay or if they could get him something.

"I'm fine," Mike assured them as he plopped down in the chair at his desk. "Other than the blow on my noggin, the doctor wanted to see if they could tell if something else may have made me pass out."

"Good to see you're okay," one guy said. "You had us worried there."

"Yeah," his partner agreed. "You two let us know if you need anything."

"We will," Megan said.

The two officers smiled and returned to their work at their desks.

"You're really liked around here," Megan teased.

Mike threw her a dismissive look but he was pleased. He then saw Fin and Munch from SVU headed his way. "Here come the panty police!"

"We're here to clean up your mess," Fin stated "Heard you got conked on the head at a kiddie party."

"There's no need to pass judgment," Wheeler told them.

"And you are?" Munch asked, looking over his glasses.

Fin rolled his eyes, understanding that Munch knew exactly who she was.

Logan smiled up at the two SVU detectives. "She's my partner."

"Oh, yeah," Munch said. "You were swapping spit with Det. Goren on or about the time of the incident."

Logan, not having heard these particulars, cast a quick, questioning glance at Megan who just shrugged her shoulders.

Munch pressed on. "Det. Wheeler, I take it you and Det. Goren have an ongoing relationship?"

Mike interrupted Megan before she could speak. "Can we just stick to the case?"

Fin didn't like Logan trying to control the course of the investigation. "We need to look at all angles."

"This is a huge misunderstanding," Megan said. She was relieved to see Ross heading in their direction.

After ordering Bobby and Alex to go home and rest, Ross had had a change of heart himself. Once he had gotten downstairs to the lobby, he had turned around and gone back to his office. He was tired but was too wound up to sleep.

"Detectives Munch and Tutuola," Ross stated. "Here is a list of all the people at the haunted house."

Fin took the list, "Thanks. Anything else you all can tell us that we don't already know?"

"Let's see," Munch said, although he knew Fin was not talking to him. "What do we know? The dead guy is a pedophile recently released from prison. He ended up with a rope around his neck and a knife in his gut when that probably should have been you, Logan –"

"There is no indication that anyone wanted to kill Det. Logan," Ross stated. "Whoever killed this guy got the one they were after. They even stabbed him to make sure. Det. Logan was passed out in the rafters when we found him."

"Too much party punch?" Munch asked.

"I didn't have any punch," Logan said, thinking back. "When I got there I did eat a brownie—"

"Sugar overload," Wheeler said. "I told you to stop eating so much sugar."

"Well, the brownie didn't hit me on the head," Logan said. "I ate the brownie and got a little woozy. All I remember after that is something hitting me on the head. I passed out. I came to when Det. Goren shook me."

"Did anybody else eat any of those brownies?" Fin asked.

"I don't know. There was only one left. Maggie said she saved it for me."

Fin took out his notebook. "Who's this Maggie chick?"

"Margaret Chamberlain," Ross said. "She helps to put together children's events."

Fin looked at Logan. "Well, she is the last one you remember seeing and it appears she fed you a loaded brownie. She's worth talking to."

xxxx


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When Fin and Munch exited one Police Plaza, they decided that walking over to the haunted house would be quidker than driving. They radioed for a patrol car to meet them there – just in case they needed back up.

As they made they way through the throngs of pedestrians in their Halloween gear, it was obvious that many of them had been up all night celebrating. Although Munch wore a scowl the whole time, neither of the detectives batted an eye as they approached and passed men dressed as women, women dressed as men, aliens, super heroes, devils, witches, cartoon characters, and all manner of monsters.

Munch was fuming and Fin knew he'd regret asking why, but what the hell. "What's got you so heated?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Munch said. "It's this damn _holiday—"_

"Don't take it so personally. People just need to blow off a little steam, have a some fun."

"What I don't get, is that for 364 days of the year, we teach our kids not to take candy from strangers, but on Halloween, we encourage them to go begging for candy. This day is anything but sacred. Instead of calling it Halloween, it should be called Hallow Damage for all the harm it does to children."

Twice in one night Fin had agreed with Munch. That must be some kind of record. He wouldn't admit it though, just so it wouldn't go to his partner's head.

They arrived at the haunted house at 6:07 a.m. and found Det. Alex Eames talking to some ghouls and Det. Bobby Goren examining the contraption that held the rope. Instead of going home as ordered, the Major Case detectives had returned to the crime scene. Fin walked over to Eames and Munch to Goren.

"Whatcha got there, lover boy?" Munch asked Goren.

Bobby paused a moment, trying to figure out what Munch was talking about. Then he understood. He should have known better than to act like a schoolboy on a first date. He liked Megan and he intended to see her again, but he definitely should have been more discreet around his colleagues. Now, he'd probably never hear the end of it.

"Yeah," Munch continued. "Tomorrow's headline in the Post: Two detectives caught smooching while one of their partners is left hanging . . . or something like that."

Fin and Eames joined them and overheard. "Cut it out, Munch," Fin told him.

Alex hadn't known that Bobby and Megan were seen kissing. How did these guys know and she didn't? Well, she certainly wouldn't ask Bobby about it. She didn't want him to think she cared.

"It appears that we have this all figured out," Munch said, his tone sounding a bit superior even to himself. "Where's Margaret Chamberlain?"

"I'm Margaret Chamberlain," one of the ghouls announced as it raised its hands to be cuffed.

Goren and Eames glanced at each other, dumbfounded.

"Are you admitting that you killed Dennis Whitlock?" Fin asked.

"Somebody had to do it," the ghoul answered simply.

"That's as good of a confession as one could ask for," Munch told Fin. He approached the ghoul. "Put your hands behind your back. Margaret Chamberlain, you're under arrest for the murder of Dennis Whitlock."

"Now hold on a minute," Goren protested. "She's our collar."

"Oh yeah?" Fin challenged him. Goren was bigger but Fin didn't back down. "Then why haven't you arrested her? Do you even know why she did it?"

Goren glared down at him but didn't speak.

Fin grabbed Margaret's arm. "Didn't think so."

Munch and Fin realized at the same time that they weren't even certain what the motive was but they were not about to admit this.

Munch stepped menacingly in front of Margaret. "Explain it to them, ghoulie."

"I had to do it," Margaret the ghoul insisted. "He would have done it again! I know it."

"How did you know who he was?" Eames asked

"I've been keeping track of him for years, ever since . . . ever since he . ., he raped me fifteen years ago. A few weeks later he raped another young girl. She reported it. I didn't. He was convicted and sent to prison on her testimony. I was devastated all over again when he was recently let out of prison. If I had spoken up back when he attacked me, he may have been put away sooner and that girl would not have been hurt. And then they let him out. How could they do that?"

"He had served his time, now, unfortunately, so will you," Munch said.

"I'm glad I did it," Margaret asserted. "It doesn't matter what you do to me now. I've already served a life sentence of shame."

Goren tried to make sense of it all. "If you had told us—"

"That other girl he raped reported it, but you cops let him out anyway. Believe me, I've been carrying a lot of guilt for years. So no, you can't hurt me now. I'd like to think of what I did to him tonight as performing community service. He and others like him need to know: don't mess with our kids!"

Fin pulled her by the arm, "Tell it to the judge."

Goren held his hand up and Fin stopped. "Margaret, you claim to care about the children, yet you kill a man—"

Margaret pulled away from Fin and got in Goren's face. Fin let her go since she was already cuffed from behind. "A man who would hurt them if given the chance! I saw him sneaking around here, waiting for his opportunity. He didn't even remember me, even when I invited him to dress up as the hanging man. He was so focused on what he intended to do!"

Goren continued, undeterred. "Not only did you kill him but you let him drop where the children could see him. Some of his blood even got on them. Didn't you think that would traumatize them?"

Even through the ghoulish makeup, it was clear that Margaret had not considered this. "I'm sorry about that. Maybe the boys will think twice and not grow up to be the kind of man Dennis Whitlock was."

Goren looked at Eames, incredulous.

"Well, it is Halloween," Munch stated. "What's a little death on a night like tonight?"

"Cool it, Munch!" Fin said and grabbed Margaret by the arm again. "Let's go."

"What are you ragging on me for?" Munch asked Fin. "Look around you: there's ghouls, vampires, caskets, there's nothing but death. So why get upset when there's a real dead body?"

Alex sighed and shook her head.

Fin kept on walking with Margaret and didn't answer.

Munch followed them, waiting for an answer to what he thought was a very plausible question.

Alex looked at Bobby. "I don't believe this. The murderer was right under our noses the whole time!"

Bobby had a confused look on his face. "She was our collar, wasn't she?"

"I'd just as soon SVU did take her," Alex admitted. "I do feel bad for her, though."

"Margaret is a killer, although I can understand why she did it. Maybe the judge will go easy on her."

"Yeah, maybe." Alex sighed. "Poor Logan."

Bobby smiled. "Logan has a hard head and stomach. He'll recover."

"I know, but he didn't get to be the hanging man."

Bobby pondered this a moment. "He should consider himself lucky."

xxxx


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When they got outside, Bobby slowed down. Alex turned to him. "Come on, I'll give you a lift home."

"Something's not right," he said. His eyes were a bit glazed and he looked tired.

"We were trumped by Special Victims Unit," Alex said. "Let it go," She started walking again. Bobby didn't respond and didn't start walking. Alex stopped and went back to him. He was lost in thought Again. Probably Megan, Alex told herself. Maybe he's going to her house. Perhaps I should offer him a ride over there.

"How old do you think Margaret is?" Bobby asked her.

Alex was completely taken off guard by this question. "What? Forty, at least."

"Yeah, even through all that ghoulish makeup, that's what I was thinking. A pedophile doesn't change his m.o. Margaret Chamberlain is at least 40. She would have been too old for him fifteen years ago."

"Yeah," Alex agreed. Why hadn't she realized that?

Bobby's eyes came into focus. "Let's run a background on both Margaret and Whitlock."

Bobby's fervor energized Alex. She pointed across the street. "I'm parked right over there."

_To be continued . . ._


End file.
